Addition to the Lambing Barn

Nothing like putting yourself under pressure. Breed your sheep for Febuary and then realize your lambing barn isn't big enough to house everyone. So off to the lumber store for all kinds of 4 by's and 6 by somethings and tin for the roof and home we came. We started off great, got 40 feet done in the back. Front will get finished in a couple weeks. So here are some pictures of the job halted by Len trying to cut off a finger while putting up the tin. So 5 stitches and no pictures of the finger...

Here we are home from town

Just a cute replacement ewe

Mr. Handsome

If you have no food we're leaving

So far so good

It's Fall

Looks like Fall....








I haven't blogged in so long and after reading Louanne's blog I started feeling a tad guilty..but not too much as I know there are lots of delinquent bloggers out there.
Yesterday I went to Lee's Stirling Acres Arena Trial and had a great time. Was good to see faces I haven't seen for a while.
Today we put the posts in to extend the lambing barn since I increased the numbers and we will be lambing earlier. I want room for all 85 ewes in the barn. I have decided after this winter lambing that I will breed all the ewes in June for November lambing. I can sell the lambs for a much higher price before Easter to cover the feed which I would be using the same amount if I lamb in Febuary and had to feed to the middle of May. Nice thing about Katahdins is they can be bred all year round and I will sponge them to make sure they all cycle for June. That means an adult flock to run in mine and Lee's spring trials next year.




No, that is not snow on the ground. It is a compostable bedding that we are trying. Will put in underneath the shavings in the barn for more absorbency. Hope it works like they say it will.

Len was nice to go out and feed the sheep today. We are trying to use up the square bales as I find the round bales easier to feed through the winter when I work off the farm.

Sunny Fall Day

Well, it was the perfect fall day. Looked like fall but with lots of warmth from the sun. On the way home from Chase, I took our neighbor for a drive up to China Valley. It is even more remote than I am but so pretty. I was able to get a couple shots with the iphone.


Lots of cow shelters but didn't see the cows!


This isn't a driveway, it's the road.

Woodpeckers in the Trees

Could hear the tapping outside this morning. Every year we have woodpeckers around and usually they are on our hydro pole! I caught these pics in the trees just on the other side of the driveway.

Movies

More Puppy Pictures

Just a Tuesday

These days the biggest project is getting everything done before noon so I don't fry! Today's job was taking the "hay houses" out of the dog runs. I build them in the fall for the warmth but they are quite good insulators in the summer...well maybe not but it is a good excuse for being a couple months late getting them out. Maybe because there wasn't much moisture so they stayed dry and didn't get wet and mouldy. I have a canopy over them in the summer for shade and in the winter I sort of wrap it in a huge hay tarp. Works well and someday we'll get real snazzy kennels built..after the shop, garage, addition to hay shed...you get the picture.

Please Mom don't wreck my house!


Kennels clean, barrels in place, everyone is happy.

Then I sat and had a look around the yard. It is getting dry but not too bad yet for this time of year.





Beside the 3 rows of rasberries and 2 rows of strawberries (that Rosie steals all the time) Len built me a couple of raised beds. They are better for watering and weeding and will grow almost as much as half of our big garden did. Not bad considering I only planted it a month ago.



The tomatoes in the green house are doing great...



In the middle of all these goings on, I had to go out into the pasture /trial field to get the pen down and bring in in so we could mow the field. I decided to go in using the 10 foot gate off the driveway but once you start driving in, you have to turn right away becasue (yes Len I know) I built the takepens too close to the gate opening. So...I kind of "shaved" the post....



Oh...sh*t!

Baby Hank

 

Hank's baby pictures. His dam is Lana Rowley's Mint and her puppy picture is bottom left corner. His sire is Elizabeth Baker's Rye and his puppy picture is the center bottom. Hank arrives Friday, July 30th!

Wow, Time Flies!

I just noticed that my last post was May 30th. We have done a bunch of stuff since then. Hayed down below and had rain, hayed here without rain, been to 2 sheep dog trials and got the yard in shape and graden planted and lambs weaned!
We did buy a JohnDeere ride on lawn mower. I have enjoyed as much as Len. Makes life a lot easier and quicker to get the lawns done. Len built 2 - 12x4 foot raised beds for a garden and I planted the garden which is actually coming up now. Planted 4 fruit trees and maybe we will have fruit next year!
We are concentrating on our place this year and dropped the hay contract that we did down in Falkland. Just not enough time. So,here is Len bringing in the hay from the 30 acres...and it's now in the hay shed.



Then there are the lambs that have been weaned and are being babysat by the year old replacement ewes. They are growing by leaps and bounds!



And here is old Lynnie who supervises all the farm goings on...and what is prettier than this face?

Catch Up

Since I am pretty much stuck to the house (and I don't do sick well) I thought I would catch the blog up! Len did most of the work this weekend while I spent time on the couch. I kept watching the fertilized lawn and thought one day we should cut it. Then it rained, and rained and wouldn't dry out enough in between to get it mowed.



Len struggled through the now very tall grass and I hear we are buying a ride on lawn mower now.
He thankfully stopped to take a break when his Mom phoned.



A friend that we used to buy cattle from likes to bring over a few steers to put in the top field that we don't hay because it's too many rocks and hilly. Len went up the back way to check the fences and the two "young girls" ran with the quad. He came back on the road so I was lucky to have the camera handy and take these pictures of Len, Rosie and Kip.

Sunday Scores PVSDT

Open
Carol Nelson Jess 92
Thad Buckler Nic 88
Bob Stephens RMS Pat 86
Wendy Schmaltz Gin 85
Nancy Stephens RMS Ike 84
Corey Perry Jill 84
Wendy Legare Towie 84
Brian Nelson Pleat 84
Lee Lumb Nan 83
Pam Boring Jake 83
Norman Close Gwen 82
Carol Nelson Cal 82
Brian Nelson Sweep 80
Wendy Legare Dee 80
Lorne Landry Cassie 79
Bob Stephens Jess 78
Wayne Roberts Cora 78
Holly Brunner Mirk 78
Bob Stephens Pete 76
Lorne Landry Robbie 76
Wendy Schmaltz Fly 74
Norman Close Jake 71
Lee Lumb Chica 69
Susan Taylor Kyu 66
Nancy Stephens Jenn 61
Charmaine HendersonReo 60
Lynne Schweb Dex 60
Vickie Close Hanna 60
Pearse Ward Cal 58
Pam Boring Mirk 57
Jennifer L'ArriveeSpot 56
Kristi Oikawa Lou 50
Pearse Ward Riel rt
Thad Buckler Trax rt
Aileen McConnellPeg dq
Vickie Close Gail pull

ProNovice

Tess Davidson Dell 73
Ian Ripley DeeDee 71
Bob Stephens RMS Dirk69
Carl Sneddon Fan 65
Norman Close Blaze 65
Chris Hanson Zac 64
Judy Snell Tag 60
Holly Brunner Rosie 60
Jennifer L'ArriveeMint 60
Holly Brunner Kip 58
Carol Nelson Zip 57
Kathy Williams Pepe 52
Brian Nelson Beau 51
Fran MacPherson Mirk 51
Kathy Williams Skye 49
Lorne Landry Jace 49
Linda Larsson Bella 47
Kristi Oikawa Rex 44
Roy van Ryswyk Ryk 33
Judy Snell Betty 18
Wayne Roberts Bud rt
Pam Boring Ben rt
Aileen McConnellChance rt
Nancy StephensRMSTweed rt
Jill Brodie Sweep rt
Roy van Ryswyk Katie rt
Jill Brodie Ryder rt
Wendy Schmaltz Annie rt
Chris Hanson Ben rt

Nursery

Ian Ripley (Lee Lumb) JoJo68
Carol Nelson Taff 64
Wendy Schmaltz Creed 63
Lee Lumb Jeb 58
Vickie Close Jess 43
Corey Perry Callie rt

Saturday Scores PVSDT

The trIAl went really well...except for the rain, rain and rain. Cleared off for a bit this afternoon and then for the handler's pot luck dinner..which was great! We are all ready for tomorrow...

Saturday Open Scores

Bob Stephens RMS Pat 89
Lee Lumb Nan 88
Carol Nelson Jess 88
Thad Buckler Nic 88
Corey Perry Jill 87
Nancy Stephens RMS Ike 86
Lorne Landry Robbie 85
Pam Boring Mirk 85
Wendy Schmaltz Fly 81
Thad Buckler Trax 78
Nancy Stephens Jenn 78
Lee Lumb Chica 76
Bob Stephens Jess 76
Bob Stephens Pete 74
Brian Nelson Sweep 73
Aileen McConnellTess 73
Kristi Oikawa Lou 70
Carol Nelson Cal 70
Lynne Schweb Dex 69
Wendy Legare Towie 67
Pearse Ward Riel 67
Norman Close Gwen 66
Jennifer L'ArriveeSpot 65
Brian Nelson Pleat 65
Wayne Roberts Cora 65
Vickie Close Hanna 63
Wendy Schmaltz Gin 63
Pam Boring Jake 62
Lorne Landry Cassie 61
Holly Brunner Mirk 58
Pearse Ward Cal 54
Susan Taylor Kyu 52
Charmaine HendersonReo 0
Wendy Legare Dee rt
Norman Close Jake rt
Vickie Close Gail rt


Saturday ProNovice Scores

Nancy Stephens RMS Tweed75
Tess Davidson Dell 72
Judy Snell Tag 66
Norman Close Blaze 65
Lorne Landry Jace 62
Chris Hanson Zac 61
Brian Nelson Beau 56
Holly Brunner Rosie 56
Kristi Oikawa Rex 54
Ian Ripley DeeDee 54
Bob Stephens RMS Dirk 54
Chris Hanson Ben 53
Kathy Williams Pepe 52
Pam Boring Ben 52
Holly Brunner Kip 51
Fran MacPherson Mirk 48
Jennifer L'Arrivee Mint 43
Judy Snell Betty 39
Roy van Ryswyk Katie 17
Roy van Ryswyk Ryk 15
Jill Brodie Ryder rt
Kathy Williams Skye rt
Aileen McConnellChance rt
* Linda Larsson Bella rt
Carl Sneddon Fan rt
Wendy Schmaltz Annie rt
Wayne Roberts Bud rt
Carol Nelson Zip rt
Jill Brodie Sweep rt

Saturday Nursery

Lee Lumb Jeb 81
Ian Ripley (Lee Lumb) JoJo 79
Corey Perry Callie 65
Vickie Close Jess 53
Carol Nelson Taff rt
Wendy Schmaltz Creed rt

Tick Tock

Lambing is over and now I am scrambling to get things ready for the Paxton Valley Sheepdog Trial. Well, not actually scrambling since after 7 years, it just happens. Lee ACD (awesome Course Director) will be out tomorrow to set up the course and we shall have that done. Just need to take panels up to the top for the exhaust pen and then put up the tarps..and haul a few miscellaneous things down to the field. You know, flowers for in front of the outhouse and stuff like that!

Lambies Lambies

We started lambing last Saturday with one single ram lamb. Nothing again till Monday at noon, then it all broke loose! So far 44+ to date and a little over half done.
Here is a link to some pictures at Picasa:

2010_0422Lambs

Calves in the Spring at Wishnowski's

Roz and Ralph's Place with all the new calves.

Just click on the picture to take you to Picasa and then click on Slideshow. Enjoy Mom!

Thinking of things to come

Well I am getting a tad bit excited about the Paxton Valley Sheep Dog Trial we are having in May for the 7th year! It will be great to see all the familiar faces probably for the first time this year. I found this old picture I sent out the first year we had changed the field.



Tweaked the field some by taking out the sharp corner where the fence goes up to the shelter on the Away side. Should help the Open outruns flow better.

The trial is now full with a waiting list so that is a good thing..except the people on the waiting list :(

So until May......................

I Am Catching Up

Feeling kind of guilty that I am not keeping my blog up, I have at least gone out and taken Pictures today....It's boys day at the farm. When Tripper retired to being the only horse, he was lonely so we put the rams out with him. Now he has friends and guards them faithfully and shares his hay but not with as much enthusiasm.

Just a Nice Saturday at Home

Well since I am a bit lazy on the weekends, pictures seem to be the easiest way to keep my blog updated. So after working the Border Collies and being happy with that, I took a walk to check some fence changes we are going to make and took some pictures.


Clairice who is 7 years old now.

Sonny aka "Bubba" now 11 months old.

Sheep doing what they do best..Eating!



Lambies


These kids play me out

"Mom, open the door"

The old girls

Cute ones